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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. The April inspection report noted that a segment of the cut slope road ditch on "G" Road, west of Pond 005 had down-cut, and repair will be necessary, along with rock lining or other appropriate stabilization measures. This item was overlooked during the May inspection, and will need to be checked. There is a very steep segment of the Ridgeline light use road that descends from the ridgeline down the regraded spoil in the upper 016 watershed. Installation of a number of closely spaced water bars may be warranted along this segment of road to minimize erosion until the steep reclaimed slopes above the road have stabilized. Operator indicated that road grade and alignment along the segment may not be at the final configuration, and that final configuration would be achieved prior to topsoiling of the adjacent slopes. Hvdrolooic Balance Snow melt runoff was largely over, but there was flow in the lower portions of several of the larger permanent drainage channels. Backfillino and Gradin Backfilling and grading work has been completed, with the exception of full reclamation of certain roads and width reduction grading of other roads to be retained for the postmine land use, along with some final permanent channel grading, and maintenance grading including rill and gully repair, channel repair, and slide repair. A former scraper road extended from Stock Pond T-5 to the north, crossing Channel 006-E1. Segments of the road on either side of the 006-E1 channel have not been fully eliminated, and flow concentration along the remnant road segments has caused gully erosion in the past. Additional minor grading and topsoiling is necessary to tie the remnant road segments into the adjacent topography, and eliminate the remnant cut slope and road bed segments. Topsoil Topsoiling has not yet been performed on approximately 70 acres of graded spoil n the upper reaches of the 016 watershed, primarily within the Sage Creek/Wolf Creek mine block. Other areas to be topsoiled in 2007 include a small area of the lower 017 watershed in the vicinity of the stock pond to be constructed there, as well as various road reclamation locations. Seasonal topsoiling had not yet been initiated at II-W, scrapers were working at Yoast Mine at the time of the inspection. Several small topsoiled parcels laid down late last fall in the upper 016 watershed had just recently been seeded this spring. Revecetation Revegetation success was not closely assessed due to the early stage of the growing season. Seeding had recently been completed this spring on small areas topsoiled late last fall in the 016 watershed, along the reduced "J" Road, and in rill and gully repair areas. The annual wheat cover crop seeded with the perennial mix last fall in various locations, including lower slopes in the 016 and 017 watersheds has established very well, and is providing good erosion protection on steep topsoiled slopes in those locations. A couple of the fenced shrub/tree planting areas in the former "A" pit area were observed. The lower planting area immediately west of Stock Pond T-5 has had mixed results. There is decent survival and growth of irrigated tubeling aspen, cottonwood, and various shrubs; although most are infested by tent caterpillars and the leaves on most are heavily chewed. The shrub seeding within the fenced area but outside of the irrigated zone appears to have been a failure; there are few if any shrubs and the area is becoming overgrown with grasses. 4